I don't use perlite either. I'm using 1/8" granite for concrete from Home Depot. Poultry grit is expensive in LA, I can't find crushed granite at any of the Building Supply/Masonry yards - the brand Blue Mountain poultry grit is probably the same as the Cherry Stone but I'm not willing to drive an hour to get it. The other components of my mix is fir microbark and pumice (DryStall) both I sieve, the pumice has to be rinsed of dust.

I read an old thread on Gardenweb, Norma Lewis wrote that The Huntington Botanical Garden (and she as well, as she worked there and had a collection of a couple hundred Sans) used 60% pumice in the medium - pumice absorbs water. Someone had asked about tips drying out and she had replied that perhaps the soil medium that plant was in wasn't holding sufficient water. Why not water more often? I have no idea. In the Sans Journal I read an article about a collector in Indonesia who waters 3 x a week outside of the monsoon season. That's more than any other recommendation I've ever seen.

Here in Pitts. PA I use poultry grit (crushed granite). It's cheap at $8.50 a 50 lb. bag. Comes in two sizes here. I buy the large size and use up to 50% for my Sans and 80% for my Haws.

I use Manna Pro poultry grit, which is available (here in FL) at Tractor Supply, quite a lot. It's not really cheap -- about $9.50 for a 25 lbs bag, but many of my plants are small so I don't use a ton. Also, I DO use perlite with C/S soil for Sans, along with a handful of grit. What I like about Manna Pro is that it takes very little sifting. It's a relatively good size right out of the bag, so I quickly sift it (without a lot of waste -- yay!) and then wash it to eliminate dust, and it works pretty well. I would like to try Cherry Stone grit, but haven't been able to find it where I live and don't feel it's worth it to order online.

I can get Manna Pro here at feed stores but it's around $10 for a 10# bag, the Blue Mountain is a 50# bag for a dollar less.

Floorwalker, looks like you are in Indiana. I'm in Columbus and have purchased this same cherry stone at the local Rural King.

We have a Rural King here in town. I have to give it a look.

willzbernard: I followed your link. It says the 50lb bag of #2 Cherry Stone Grit is only $5.94! That would be an excellent price!

It would be. But the shipping to me was around $16 bringing it up to around $22. I bought it anyway because it was the cheapest I could find.

Shipping is the same to me...oooh well.